Montessori Monday: A Basket of Treasures

I hope to make "Montessori Monday" a new feature on this blog.  My husband and I considered sending our children to Montessori school.  We agonized over the decision for a long time and in the end, decided to send them to a Traditional school.  However, I still want (and have tried to) incorporate many of the tenants and focus of Montessori education into our daily lives at home.  I hope to share that here.

To begin, this book by Tim Seldin is a really good (and simple) introduction to Montessori's principles.  It also provides the reader many ways to incorporate some of the methods and approaches to Montessori education into their daily parenting routine and life. 

One thing that I have done for all three of my children since there were very young is to provide a "basket of treasures" (as Seldin refers to it).  It may seem like a really basic thing to do, but before reading Seldin's book, I didn't think about doing it in quite this way.  According to Seldin,      

A treasure basket should create a sense of wonder, surprise, and discovery.  Gather between 50 and 100 objects, each of which has distinctly different characteristics: shape, color, texture, weight, and smell...You might include things such as a wallet, a large walnut shell, a pine cone, a brush, a feather, a silver bell, a smooth stone.

Here is a picture of our treasure basket.

I realized after taking this photo that pour little Ian, being the third kid, is getting the shaft a little.  A lot of this basket's original contents have been misplaced.  After I took this photo I added a wooden spoon, a spice jar with some coffee beans in it, and a few other odds and ends.  

The basket has been a source of wonder for all three of my kids.  They love to pick up the objects, look at them, and stick them in their mouths (make sure you don't include anything that could be a chocking hazard).  

Big sister still loves it. 

An incredibly easy project to put together for your little one but one that will provide much entertainment and enjoyment.  Sometimes the simplest toys are the best. 

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